The Forgotten

15

Mira woke to the sun's rays coming through her window. She stretched lazily and got up out of her bed and started her morning routine. as she was about to pull her favorite light blue dress from her wardrobe, her mother entered the room. She was carrying what appeared to be a pair of trousers, a white shirt and a lightweight jacket.

"Hey you go, My Darling. I had these made for you earlier this year. The tailor just had them delivered to the house. I thought you might like to wear them while we are out with Tine. After all, we will be on horseback for quite a bit of time, and I thought perhaps you would be more comfortable in trousers." 

Lady Amethyst walked into the room and nonchalantly laid her packages on her daughter's bed like it was an everyday occurrence for her to wear pants. Many women in the village did. Especially those that worked in the fields on farms and with livestock. It was easier to get around in them, instead of fighting yards of flowing fabric and corsets and crinolines.  Mira had never owned a pair of pants and wasn't sure how she felt about it. when she expressed her concern, er mother shushed her.

"Mira, women have been wearing trousers in the East for centuries. Many wear a long tunic style top that flows to their knees and is split up the side all the way to their hips. Your father said it was quite an attractive outfit. Especially, since most of the merchants wives and daughters wore silk. They even wear an open shoe called a sandal. I'm told it's very comfortable in the warm weather. But anywho, put this outfit on and we will see how you look. I hope the tailor did what I asked." Lady Amethyst looked entirely too satisfied with herself, Mira thought. 

She watched her mother leave the room and turned to her bed where she had laid the "clothes" that she would wear for the day's trip. Picking up the trousers, Mira had to admit that they were a great deal lighter in weight than her usual dresses. A lot lighter. Pulling them up, she realized that they buttoned up on each side of the front and had a row of three buttons to secure the cuff of the pants a bit more snug that they already were if she wished. As she was pulling on the white shirt she realized it wasn't silk, but a very finely milled cotton. buttoning up the shirt she noticed a pair of socks. She pulled these on and went into her wardrobe to retrieve her riding boots. 

Soon Mira was dressed and standing in front of the full length cheval mirror at the young woman staring back at her. The woman was slender with a dipped in waist that flowed to flared hips. The shirt was styled to accentuate her bustline. It was generous but not overly buxom. The trousers made her legs appear long and they tapered down into slim ankles and dainty, small feet. Mira was fascinated with her appearance. She ad never dress this way and was pleasantly surprised that she liked it. It appeared to be comfortable and easy to move around in. It was definitely a lighter weight than all of her dresses. 

As Mira was going down the stairs carrying her boots, she made up her mind to speak to her mother and the tailor to have several more outfits such as this one made. Just as she reached the last stair, the front door opened and Tine along with Raptor walked in. Mira watched in fascination as the muscles in Tine's throat worked and his eyes dilated and his jaw went slack. She watched as Raptor chuckled at the sight of the young man speechless and consumed by desire.

Taking a finger, Raptor reached out and pushed the bottom of Tine's jaw shut as he chuckled again. Then turning, he bowed to Mira and greeted her. "Good morning, beautiful young lady. As you can see, the young man is deeply affected by the sight of you. I will say, it is a pleasure to see him this way. I don't believe he has ever been without words. He is so taken with you that he can barely function, let alone talk." Chuckling again, He offered his arm which she took and together they entered into the dining room with Tine, shaking himself back to reality and following behind.

As the family sat at breakfast, they discussed how long the day would be and if there were going to stop at the local inn for supper and give cook the night off. It was decided that they would and as Lady Amethyst rose to go tell cook to pack a hearty and large lunch, Mira realized that her mother was also wearing trousers. When she realized, she turned to look at her father, who had almost the same look that her fiancé had on his face.  Maybe there was something to wearing these types of pants, she thought to herself. 

After breakfast, Tine, Raptor and Isaac went to the stables to saddle the horses and pack their lunch in the saddlebags along with bottles of mead and wine. Cook had even packed fruit and cheese for their dessert. Bless her, she thought of everything.

Turning to her mother seated next to her in the salon, Mira asked, "Do you think we can have more trousers made for me. The way Tine watched me and the way father watched you made me realize that these weren't such a bad idea, after all."

Amethyst smiled at her daughter, "Indeed. Comfort is the first idea. But getting your man's attention in them is the second idea. It helps if you can fill them out properly and you do. We will go tomorrow to the tailor and order several more pairs as well as more shirts. while I'm at it, how are you boots doing?" She watched as her mother took inventory of the condition of her footwear.

"Really Mother, my boots are fine. Just broken in the way I like them. If you must order more, have the cobbler use them to make my new ones and ask if he can use lamb or goat hide. It's much softer and easier to break in and doesn't leave my feet bleeding." Mira said.

Just then, the men entered the house to tell the ladies that their mounts were saddled and ready to go. Tine, having heard the last part of the conversation, made a suggestion. "Why not soak them and place a form in the shape of your feet in them to do the work for you? No bleeding."

Mira and her mother thought it was a great idea and both agrees to speak to the cobbler about it. As they were leaving the salon, Amethyst reminded her daughter to grab a hat for both of them, so their faces wouldn't get burned.

The ride to the building site of their home took a little over an hour and a half. Conversation had flowed quite naturally. But the closer they got the more nervous Tine seemed to get. Finally, Isaac leaned over and patted the "younger" man on the shoulder and said, "Don't you worry, young man. If you are quick with this as you are everything else, then I'm sure it will be doing well and Mira will love it."

Nothing more was said until the group entered the clearing where their new home was being built. A collective gasp rose from the women at the site of all of the cranes doing the heavy lifting and masons carving stone. Off to the side were several carpenters working on solid wooden beams. Getting them ready to put in place to hold up the next floor. Because clearly, the ground floor was almost finished.